I don't like anything else besides that. In the end, I thank this book for its many lessons on pinball machines. This is better off as a repairing manual, period.
Jamie Canaves. Listen, if you're going to give a book the title of a Fleedwood Mac song, I'm going to be interested no matter what it's about. But the fact that it's a book in my favorite genre is definitely a bonus. I'm ashamed to admit this is my first Eric Smith book, but boy am I glad I read it.
You Can Go Your Own Way is a heartwarming, funny and amazing book and definitely one of my favorites of the year so far. I loved everything about this book. The setting of Philly - which is as much of a character than any of the people in the book - the characters, the story. It just tugged at my heartstrings at all the right times while also making me laugh out loud plenty of times. The way the story is told, and how social media is used, hooked me right from the start.
I read this book pretty much in one go because I just couldn't stop reading. Adam, one of our main characters, was really my favorite. He's still so deeply in his grief after losing his dad and I related so much to him and his inability to let go of things. Especially his father's arcade. He's such a sweet guy and I honestly just wanted to wrap him in blankets and reassure him everything would be okay. There's also Whitney, who I needed to warm up to a little bit?
But I love her nonetheless. She's caring and devoted and passionate and it was really really nice to see her find herself in this book. Her love for plants is one I, for one, cannot relate to because I am one of those people that can kill even the most tough of plants. But I loved that about her!
The way she loved them and cared about them and got insulted whenever someone says it's "just a plant". Her relationship with Adam is a rocky one since his father died but throughout the book they become friends again and maybe even more? And it was so nice and sweet and genuine and it made my heart so happy. Also, the parents in this book. I love awesome parents in YA! This book definitely nailed that part though I'm still hesitant about Whitney's father. And all the other characters too!
I loved it so much. I highly recommend this wonderful gem of a book and I know it's not releasing for a while but I just couldn't stop myself from talking about it. Because it was just. Read this when you have the chance, seriously. Tessa Talks Books. Exploring grief and loss in all its many stages, as well as the impact of divorce, this story touched my heart deeply. The dual narration and character-driven story enabled me to get to know each of the characters and the many layers that make them who they are at this point.
Both characters- Adam and Whitney — work so hard to honor their fathers. Trying to fulfill these two needs broke their friendship apart, and I absolutely loved watching them work towards rediscovering what they lost and working out that they needed to follow their own path fueled by their own dreams. The song title that is the book title played through the story and connected it in multiple ways.
It means something and touches a few aspects of the story. That is very cool to bring those characters into this story as it makes sense with the setting. I rarely see that in any stories, and it was a nice shoutout to them. The city of Philadelphia also gets a shoutout in this story with a setting that reminds me that even big cities have small pockets of community.
Everyone looks out for one another and supports each other in good times and bad. It is just another heartwarming touch that makes this story above others in the genre. Adam and Whitney are no exception. Neither of them is angsty or whiny.
If anything, what they have been through has made them grow up faster than their chronological age. To Read or Not to Read If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart and make you smile often, this book must be the next one you pick up. This is my first time reading the author, but I thoroughly enjoyed his writing and plan to read some of his other works in the future.
Adam and Whitney were best of friends as kids until the summer before high school when Adam's dad passed away. Him drowning in his grief led to her finding other friends, who I'd classify as mean girls, and their friendship was severed. Now it is senior year, and they are both struggling under the weight of their parent's businesses. After a series of events cause them to call a truce, and then they end up snowed in alone overnight at Adam's families pinball arcade, they rekindle their friendship and more mature feelings along with it.
But when Adam's nightmare happens, it will break what they started and change who they both are and their futures. Arcade games. Vinyl records. Old row houses. But that's not how life works. I enjoyed both character's point of views and even though I wanted to shake Whitney once or twice, it was good to see her perspective of what went wrong in their friendship.
I loved her personal growth and her finally stepping up to her dad at the end, even if his response was a bit too little too late. Adam was my favorite of the two. I loved his pinball ramblings, his old school music, and throwback knowledge. There was a good amount of teen drama, but not overly so. It wasn't the main driving force of the plot, which I appreciated, along with the big conflict not being stupid but a realistic reaction to the situation.
The book's focus was on Adam's continual grief over his father and his struggle to let go and focus on what would make him happy. It was also about mending Adam and Whitney's friendship and second chances. The romance aspect of their relationship was really sweetly done, very low steam and fit the story perfectly. You're what I want. It's the people. The person. Not the place.
In my head I have named this book the Pinball Book. Adam helps his mother run the family pinball arcade. Even alienating his once best friend. Whitney and Adam each run the social media accounts for their family businesses and online it is war.
When a snowstorm throws the two together again, they rekindle their friendship and possibly something more. This book seemed a little jumpy to me. One minute they are fighting and the next being kind to each other. And while some of that is deliberate to the story, as they try to figure out how to settle the fight of the present with the nice memories of the past and their hopes for the future, it left me a little confused. I enjoyed the setting of the book.
Philadelphia is brought to life, from the cute little festival to the support the small businesses give each other. The makerspace was awesome and the character there fantastic. This added character to the story that the romance didn't bring. The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
All opinions are my own. Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library. Pine Reads Review. Pulling the plunger and taking the journey. But then high school happened, and everything changed. When a giant snowstorm hits and traps Whitney and Adam in the arcade and cut off from everyone else, they must face each other and find some common ground. Will their hearts melt as easily as the snow outside? All the characters are so developed, and the setting sparkles with charming descriptions.
Adam and Whitney are both excellent characters with very real flaws and insecurities, but who also bring out the best in each other. I loved watching their relationship grow and change over the course of the book. Readers can identify with so many fantastic themes in this novel: losing a loved one, growing apart from friends, accepting change, and more.
You Can Go Your Own Way is the perfect read for fans of sweet, wintery romances and pinball arcades alike.
Content Warnings: Strong language, divorce, teen partying, death of a parent Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pinereadsreview and check out our website at www. Author 6 books 36 followers. My Review: This book is told in alternating perspectives between Adam and Whitney. Adam's family owns a pinball arcade that they are at risk of losing. Adam's father was an inspiration and icon for the pinball arcade, and losing him the sumemr between 8th and 9th grade was hard.
It was even worse when he appeared in high school seeking solace from his best friend, Whitney, only to have her laugh at him, brush him off, and turn her back on him for new friends. Whitney loves her new friends. She wasn't always rich. Her father came into a new e-cafe business that actually turned out to make tons of money and they even host major game announcement events. Whitney's father, though, is trying to buy the pinball arcade to expand the e-cafes under his name.
Adam and his mom have held out for a few years, but they can barely afford to keep it. Options are slim. This causes Adam to dislike his former best friend even more. Whitney also covers the social media aspect of her father's e-cafe. Whitney is almost glued to her phone, which causes problems between her and her boyfirend and friends.
When Whitney and Adam get stuck at the pinball arcade because of a massive Philadelphia snow storm, they begin to bridge the cracks of their broken friendship, and maybe even explore something more.
But will that last with Whitney's dad ever-seeking to buy the arcade? This book is easy to read, though the chapters are quite long. It's great for a contemporary audience based on its references and the impact contemporary media has on society in relation to classic arcades. The dynamic of the main characters relationships with themselves and others is an important take-away for young readers. Many young people let friendships fall apart for the wrong reasons.
This book explores lost time, but also finding out true friendship and how to reconize those that matter. It's about the memories and the time spent. This is a fantastic stand-along that I would highly recommend to teen readers looking for a spot of hope. Okay, first I have to admit that this book was adorable. It is the type of book that you can curl up with and just feel all the fall vibes.
From the sweet descriptions of romance, the little plants, or just the genuinely wonderful small tweets or bits of mixed media in the book, this book is just a straight up vibe. However that's kind of all it is. There are definitely attempts to get at something deeper, things like renewing relationships, toxic friendships, moving on from the death of a loved one, strained parental relationships, the pressures of finding your own way as a teenager.
There's so many attempts, and I think that's really the problem. Whitney and Adam had SOME clearly defined character traits, but they didn't feel like actual people, just amalgamations of certain character types and issues.
Though, Adam's knowledge about pinball and all his references to Old Philly were fantastic, I was worried that in a book about a pinball arcade, we wouldn't get much on the actual pinball machines or game. But we did so I was happy there.
I'm so mixed on how to proceed with this book and this review, because the book is a vibe and I enjoyed so many sections of it, but I didn't enjoy it as a whole book, since it seemed so hard to draw so many issues and themes together. This book either needed more of a focus or more pages. Eric Smith gave us so much more than just a romance as he expertly navigated grief, family, and friendship throughout.
I really enjoyed getting to know Whitney, Adam, and their friends and families. Things I liked: - the fun pop culture references and nerdy Easter eggs hello Leigh Bardugo!
They were hilarious, real, and just added so much to the story - the growth both Adam and Whitney went through as individuals, each other, and with their families - Adam's friendship with Chris! Things I didn't like: - the pacing - it felt like it took awhile to build up to the forced proximity trope which is one of my faves and then that part of the story didn't actually last very long - the one area I wanted to see more development in was the relationship between Adam and Whitney; I liked what was there, but I felt it could've been given just a bit more time on the page to flesh it out, especially with the slow build up Overall, I really enjoyed this book and give it a solid 4 stars!
Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac in April , but some of his bandmates aren't sure if that's really the end of their relationship. And Fleetwood Mac is such a strange story. All the players in the play are able to talk and speak for themselves. Somehow, I would love the elements that are not healed to be healed. Home News. Allison Rapp Published: May 24, Categories: American Idol , News , Videos.
Back To Top.
0コメント